Implications of future developments and future use of ICT

ICT brings  a large number of benefits to society and these include:

• Higher standard of living: as workers are more productive with the use of IT
• More flexible working: higher expectations by customers; can be conducted at any time
• Greater democracy
• Improvement in health & life expectancy: use of IT controlled scanners 
• More intelligent systems in the home: such a robotic cleaning devices etc.

The people who create new technologies are often more indluenced by commerical benefits than worrying about any social problems that could be caused. Some of the recent problems caused by new technology:

• Violent videos such as "happy slapping" 
• Use of encryption techniques allowing terroists or criminals to have converstations which can be kept secret from the police & MI5
• Illegal sharing of copyright material such as films and music
• The ease with which people can sell stolen goods on Internet auction sites
• Problems with addiction
• Irresponsible Internet sites
• Loss of privacy 
• Risk of identity theft
• Encourages a throwaway society 

Some of the ways ICT has had an impact on the way organisations are run: 

• Customers like to buy goods and services at any time of the day
• Customers expect goods to arrive within a day or so
• Fast response times
• Remote working possible
• Flatter organisation structures: more staff are given the ability to work on their own initiative so fewer managers are needed
• More data collection tasks are performed automatically 
• The need for training for staff 
• Greater opportunity for staff to misuse ICT systems
• Need to ensure the security and privacy of personal data  

Problems caused:

• It is much more difficult to maintain barriers between work and play
• Other people can be annoyed by constant interruptions
• It can create friction at home when work places more demands on family life than your family
• Need to continually update skills

ICT changes the way people communicate: 

• Much easier to make/ change arrangements
• Conversations made using phones are briefer but more regular
• Communication tends to be less formal
• People can be contacted at any time
• Global communication is much easier 

ICT developments have led to huge changes in the way people work in the 21st century. Changes workers typically face are as follows:

• Changes to skills required and not required
• Changes to organisational structure
• Changes in work patterns: flexibility can mean that more part time work and work outside normal office hours it available
• Changes to internal procedures 
• Ways of doing things will have to be reviewed and changed if necessary